On Tuesday, March 5, voters in 16 states around the country headed to the polls. Commonly referred to as “Super Tuesday,” more than a third of delegates were up for grabs for candidates vying to win the official nomination of their party.
To win the official nomination from either the Democratic or Republican party, a candidate must earn a certain amount of delegates. By winning states in the primaries, candidates will add numbers to their delegate count. This is similar to the presidential election, where candidates need a majority of votes from the Electoral College to win the White House.
Joe Biden faced no serious challenge for the Democratic party’s nomination. Both Marianne Williamson and Dean Phillips remain at zero delegates. Biden is leading with 1,497 delegates, and 1,968 are needed to win the nomination. This will be a breeze for the incumbent.
As for the Republican contests, 1,215 delegates are needed to win the nomination. Although Trump has not passed the official delegate count, he is extremely likely to secure the nomination.
Trump has been faced with more challenges. Unlike Biden, Nikki Haley posed a serious threat to Trump at the beginning of the race. However, following Super Tuesday, she has dropped out of the race. Haley ended her tumultuous and grueling battle against Trump on March 6, ensuring that Trump will be the Republican nominee. Trump leads with 1,004 delegates.
“We have a great Republican Party with tremendous talent, and we want to have unity, and we’re going to have unity, and it’s going to happen very quickly. I have been saying lately, success will bring unity to our country,” Trump said after winning big on Super Tuesday.
Trump beat Haley by winning 14 of the 15 states. Haley won Vermont, as the state proved to be a more competitive ground for Trump, with voters being more politically democratic than other battleground states.
“The time has now come to suspend my campaign. I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done that. I have no regrets,” Haley said following her loss.
There remains little doubt that there will be a rematch between Trump and Biden this Nov., though this rematch is one that few Americans want. Many Americans feel like it’s Groundhog’s Day, with an identical ballot as the 2020 election.
Recent polling has highlighted how well-regarded Trump’s policies are. According to a recent New York Times poll, around 18% of respondents agreed that Biden’s politics have helped them personally. An astonishing 40% of respondents agreed that Trump’s policies have helped them personally.
A vital motivating issue for Democrats who lean more pro-Trump this election is the economy. Additionally, polling suggests that Trump may be gaining support from Hispanic and Black voters — 37% of Hispanic voters said Trump’s policies helped them personally compared to the 15% who agreed that Biden did the same. These groups of voters proved to be essential to Biden in the 2020 election.
With more than 8 months remaining until the presidential election, new advancements may show different polling for both candidates. The long and expansive race has only started.
